Beef + Lamb New Zealand have today announced their selection of the nation’s top restaurants and the five chefs they believe to be producing the best beef and lamb dishes in the country.

Over 170 restaurants have been named as 2018 Excellence Award holders and awarded a gold plate, after being judged by culinary trained assessors who have been scouting restaurants serving only the best beef and lamb dishes.

During the assessment process, five chefs who excelled with their dishes were selected as Ambassador Chefs, joining the ranks of eight lifetime Platinum Ambassador Chefs, who together will work on behalf of Beef + Lamb New Zealand to pass on their skills to the wider industry.

The 2018 Beef + Lamb New Zealand Ambassador Chefs are:

Alistair Forster, Forsters Mahana, Nelson
Damon McGinniss, Emporium Bar & Eatery at the Art Deco Masonic Hotel, Napier
Freddie Ponder, Salt Restaurant at the Waterfront Hotel, New Plymouth
Harry Williams, Alpha Street Kitchen, Cambridge
Kate Fay, Cibo Parnell, Auckland

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“At Cibo, I constantly like to push the boundaries. Currently we are matching our beef and lamb dishes with flavours that they have grazed and fed on and we utilise all parts of the animal, even cooking in their own fats.Kate Fay from Cibo is looking forward to the year ahead and the opportunity to continue with her adventurous ways of cooking beef and lamb.

“It is extremely rewarding to have been named a Beef and Lamb Ambassador Chef for 2018, I have an exciting year ahead,” says Kate.

The Beef and Lamb Excellence Awards programme is the nation’s longest running culinary awards and in addition provides the opportunity to strengthen the relationships between the primary producers and restaurants.

Restaurants are judged on the level of cookery, creativity and the execution of their beef and lamb cuisine.

Food writer and Listener columnist, Lauraine Jacobs admires the awards and what they stand for.

“Ultimately, the awards provide a platform to highlight the careful and meticulous work our chefs do in presenting New Zealand’s premium beef and lamb dishes to a very appreciative dining audience.

Brilliant and thoughtful dishes can be found in many of our top restaurants throughout the country and the gold plate on display is reassuring to both international tourists and locals,” says Lauraine.

For the full list of 2018 Excellence Award holders or to find out more about the Ambassador Chefs, visit nzexcellenceawards.co.nz.

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2018 BEEF AND LAMB EXCELLENCE AWARD HOLDERS

NORTHLAND
Huntaway Lodge, Kaeo
Marsden Estate Winery, Kerikeri
McKenzie’s Lot, Kingsgate AutoLodge, Paihia
Ramada Resort Reia Taipa Beach
The Duke of Marlborough Hotel, Russell
The Quay, Whangarei

AUCKLAND
Annabelles, St. Heliers
Black Cottage Café, Albany
Cable Bay Vineyards, Waiheke Island Casita Miro, Waiheke Island
Cibo Parnell
Cooke’s Restaurant, Hotel Grand Windsor, CBD
Cuff Café, Pakuranga
DeBretts Kitchen, Hotel De Brett, Auckland CBD
Fish Restaurant, Hilton Hotel, Auckland CBD
Five Restaurant & Bar, Mission Bay
Giraffe, Auckland Viaduct
Hectors, Heritage Hotel, Auckland CBD
Jervois Steakhouse, Herne Bay
Manly Bar & Grill, Whangaparaoa
MASU, Auckland CBD
Mr Toms, Ponsonby
Orbit 360° Dining, SkyCity
Plume Restaurant, Matakana
Saan, Ponsonby
Soljans Estate Winery, Kumeu
Tantalus Estate, Waiheke Island
Tapestry Dining, Pullman Hotel, Auckland CBD
Te Maroro, Jet Park Hotel Auckland Airport The Sugar Club, SkyCity
Zest Restaurant and Bar, Citylife Hotel, Auckland CBD

WAIKATO
Agenda, Hamilton
Alpha Street Kitchen & Bar, National Hotel, Cambridge
Bluestone Steakhouse, Hamilton
Crudo, Hamilton
Fahrenheit Restaurant & Bar, Te Awamutu
Furnace Restaurant & Bar, Hamilton
Huhu Café, Waitomo
Palate Restaurant, Hamilton
Smith & McKenzie Steak House, Hamilton
The Redoubt Bar & Eatery, Te Awamutu
Victoria Street Bistro, Hamilton

COROMANDEL
Koru at Rapaura, Thames
Pepper Tree Restaurant, Coromandel Town

BAY OF PLENTY
Ambria Bar & Restaurant, Katikati
Bistro at The Falls Retreat, Waihi
Halo Lounge & Dining, Trinity Wharf, Tauranga
Latitude 37, Mt. Maunganui
Mount Bistro, Mt. Maunganui
Tay Street Beach Café, Mt. Maunganui

WELLINGTON
Artisan Dining House, Bolton Hotel Boulcott Street Bistro
Cashmere Lounge
Chameleon Restaurant, Intercontinental Hotel
Elements Lyall Bay
Gasworks
Grill Meats Beer
Hillside Kitchen & Cellar
Hummingbird Eatery and Bar
La Bella Italia
Logan Brown
Olive Restaurant
One 80° Restaurant, Copthorne Hotel Oriental Bay
Pravda Café
Shed 5 Restaurant & Bar
Steps Restaurant, Travelodge Hotel
The Southern Cross Garden Bar Restaurant
Zibibbo

NELSON/MARLBOROUGH
Comida Café & Restaurant, Nelson
FORD’s Restaurant & Bar, Nelson
Forsters Mahana, Nelson
Oceano, Rutherford Hotel, Nelson
Punga Cove Resort Restaurant, Marlborough
Saint Clair Vineyard Kitchen, Blenheim The Monaco Kitchen, Nelson
Cod and Lobster Brasserie, Nelson
Foredeck Restaurant, Bay of Many Coves, Picton
Precinct Dining Co., Motueka
Quench Restaurant & Bar, Chateau Marlborough
Hotel, Blenheim

CANTERBURY
50 Bistro, The George Hotel
Baretta
Bessie
Bishop Brothers Public House
Bloody Mary’s, Rydges Latimer
Café Valentino
Chillingworth Road
Cook ‘n’ with Gas
Costas Taverna
Craythorne’s Public House
Fig Restaurant & Bar, Quality Hotel Elms
Governors Bay Hotel, Lyttleton
Lake House Restaurant, Ashburton
Market Place, Crowne Plaza
Merrin Street Brewery Bar
Pattersons Restaurant, Commodore Hotel
Pescatore, The George
Sevantis Café & Restaurant
Shackleton’s Bar & Grill, Brinkley Resort, Methven St. Germain
Strawberry Fare, Carlton Hill Hotel, Christchurch
Sugarhorse Bar & Eatery
Terra Viva Café & Deli
The Dubliner Irish Bar & Restaurant, Methven
The Old Vicarage
The Square Restaurant & Bar, Novotel Cathedral Square
No. 31 Restaurant & Bar, Hanmer Springs

ROTORUA
Mokoia Restaurant, Waiora Lakeside Spa and Resort
Regent of Rotorua Restaurant & Wine Bar
Stolen Bike Café, Rotorua The Grill, VR Rotorua Lake Resort

HAWKES BAY
Emporium Eatery & Bar, Art Deco Masonic Hotel, Napier
Malo, Havelock North
Mangapapa Hotel, Napier
Mint Restaurant, Napier
Mission Estate Winery Restaurant, Taradale
Philippine Asian Kitchen, Westshore Beach Inn, Napier
Vidal Estate Winery, Hastings

MANAWATU/WANGANUI
379 The Avenue, Kingsgate Hotel, Wanganui
Aberdeen on Broadway, Palmerston North
Amayjen The Restaurant, Fielding
Dejeuner Restaurant, Palmerston North
Nero Restaurant, Palmerston North
Ruapehu Room, Chateau Tongariro, National Park
Rutland Arms Inn, Wanganui
Table 188, Palmerston North
The Barrelhouse Restaurant & Bar, Dannevirke
The Fat Farmer, Palmerston North

TARANAKI
Arborio Restaurant Bar & Café, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth
Bella Vita Restaurant Café & Bar, New Plymouth
Gusto Restaurant Café & Bar, New Plymouth
Juliana’s Restaurant, Auto Lodge Motor Inn, New Plymouth
Meat and Liquor, New Plymouth
Salt Restaurant, The Waterfront, New Plymouth
Stony River Boutique Hotel, Okato
The Orangery Restaurant, Quality Hotel Plymouth
International

TAUPO
Bistro Lago, Hilton Lake Taupo
Plateau Bar & Eatery
The Bistro
The Brantry Restaurant

WAIRARAPA
Eatery 10 Restaurant, Martinborough
Pinocchio, Martinborough
The Grill at Solway Park, Masterton Tirohana Estate, Martinborough
Wharekauhau Lodge, Featherston

SOUTH CANTERBURY
Carnegies, Fairlie
Stronechrubie Restaurant, Mt. Somers
The Panorama Room, The Hermitage, Aoraki Mt.
Cook

OTAGO
Bacchus Wine Bar & Restaurant, Dunedin
Captains Restaurant, Queenstown
Cardrona Hotel, Cardrona
Carrick Winery Restaurant, Bannockburn
Cucina, Oamaru
Ironic Café, Dunedin
Kobe Cuisine, Millbrook Resort, Arrowtown
Lombardi Restaurant, Hotel St. Moritz, Queenstown
MacKenzies Restaurant, Heritage Hotel, Queenstown
Millhouse Restaurant, Millbrook Resort, Arrowtown
Muskets and Moonshine, Queenstown
Northstar Restaurant, Oamaru
Observatory Restaurant, Millennium Hotel,
Queenstown
Olivers Restaurant, Clyde
Ombrellos Kitchen & Bar, Dunedin
Pitches Store, Ophir, Central Otago
Poppies Café & Restaurant, Twizel
Redcliff Restaurant & Bar, Te Anau
The Fat Duck, Te Anau
Roaring Megs Restaurant, Queenstown
True South Dining Room, The Rees Hotel,
Queenstown
Vault 21, Dunedin Wanaka Gourmet Kitchen, Wanaka

SOUTHLAND
Emberz Restaurant, Ascot Park Hotel, Invercargill
Level One Restaurant, Kelvin Hotel, Invercargill Paddington Arms, Invercargill
The Foundry, Invercargill
The Whistling Frog, Owaka, Catlins

WEST COAST
Matheson Café, Fox Glacier
Waterwheel Restaurant, Stations Inn, Hokitika

Last night, two of New Zealand’s top chefs were awarded with a prestigious lifetime ambassadorship, after producing arguably some of the best beef and lamb cuisine in the country over the last decade.

Both Shaun Clouston, Executive Chef/Owner of Wellington’s Logan Brown and Grill Meats Beer, and Scott Kennedy, Head Chef/Owner of Nero Restaurant in Palmerston North have been named Beef and Lamb Platinum Ambassador Chefs after consistently excelling in the Beef and Lamb Excellence Awards.

The platinum status acknowledges their service and commitment over the years and places them alongside six other Platinum Ambassador Chefs, all tasked with driving innovation and creativity using New Zealand beef and lamb within the food service sector.

Shaun’s long and varied career began in New Zealand before spending six years in Sydney, Australia where he established himself and the style of cooking he is now known for. Shaun credits his time overseas for his appreciation and passion in using the very best, locally sourced products that Logan Brown prides itself on.

“As chefs, there is nothing better than working with top quality, local product and we are lucky enough to have so much of it readily available – it’s something our customers appreciate and keep coming back for.”

“I’m honoured to be named a Platinum Ambassador Chef, it is a huge accolade and I look forward to continuing to do my part to boost the profile of the amazing beef and lamb we have here in New Zealand, not only through the dishes we create but through championing the producers,” says Shaun.

Scott has been involved with the Awards for over 10 years, originally with his first restaurant Café Vavasseur in Palmerston North, which he opened at the young age of 21 before opening his current restaurant, Nero.

Scott’s philosophy is to utilise as much of the animal as possible, this involves using not only the popular primary cuts but secondary cuts too. Being bold and innovative with beef and lamb is what locals have come to expect from Scott.

“I am very proud that Nero is recognised here in the Manawatu against some of the bigger city establishments. I like to experiment with flavours and I’m just lucky that my customers appreciate this and allow me to do so.”

“Being named a Platinum Ambassador Chef is hugely humbling, to be aligned with some of the big named chefs in the country is certainly one of the biggest milestones in my career to date,” says Scott.

Both Shaun and Scott were acknowledged and awarded as Platinum Ambassadors last night at a sold out dinner at Nero where guests were treated to a five-course degustation. Shaun and Scott join the ranks of six other Platinum Ambassadors:

• Stephen Barry, Mount Bistro, Mt. Maunganui
• Michael Coughlin, Dunedin
• Brenton Low, Whangarei
• Mat McLean, Palate Restaurant, Hamilton
• Rex Morgan, Boulcott Street Bistro, Wellington
• Darren Wright, Chillingworth Road, Christchurch

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Shaun Clouston is a featured panellist for this year’s Hospitality Summit 2017. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit bit.do/hospitalitysummit2017